


feel like i could fly with the boy on the moon

by shesaysbriefthings



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-16 17:56:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16500041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shesaysbriefthings/pseuds/shesaysbriefthings
Summary: It starts with a moonshot.





	feel like i could fly with the boy on the moon

**Author's Note:**

> fairly boilerplate nelsonbelson right here, maybe 3 years after people were into it?   
> what can i say. i've been having a major nelsonbelson moment. 
> 
> set in that nebulous time period between 2x07 and 2x09, which I've now decided was about 3 months long.

It starts with a moonshot, of sorts. 

Gavin is pacing his office, considering. It has finally occurred to him, given that day’s disappointing foray into neurotransmitters and potato cannons, that he might potentially have issues convincing even the most open-minded of judges that Nelson Bighetti is, or has ever been, capable of coming up with anything even close to Hendricks’ algorithm. 

He thinks this might not have been Paul's greatest ever idea. 

But Gavin Belson is nothing if not a practical, forward-thinking man (or so he likes to think). He's got a couple of months before he can get his lawsuit in front of a judge, a couple of months to attempt to mold Baghead into something resembling a competent employee. 

He strides into Nelson's office, rolling his eyes at Nelson, who's got his feet up on the desk, Big Gulp in one hand and Gameboy Classic in the other. He's almost impressed that Nelson can play Tetris one-handed, but also kind of gets the impression he gets a lot of practice in.

“Oh. Hey. Mr Belson. Gavin?” 

“Gavin is fine, Nelson. Listen. It's occurred to me that perhaps your current promotion was...a little. Not hasty. Just slightly premature. It's not that I don't think you're prepared for the role, I just think you would benefit, perhaps, from some one-on-one mentorship to ease the transition for you.” 

Nelson looks a little confused, but Gavin is learning that this is his default expression, so he brushes past it. 

“I'm talking about me, Nelson. I'd like to help you get the most out of this opportunity. Wouldn't you like to do so?” 

“Uhh… yes? I guess so. I mean, I gotta be honest, man, I still don't really know what I did to get this job, but. Sure?” 

“You got the job because I see great potential in you, Nelson.” He replies, as earnestly as he can manage (god, he's good at this, he thinks to himself). “You just need to get used to managing people. Your employees. The board. That’s what I can help you with.”

Nelson shrugs. “OK. Sounds cool, man, thanks!” 

\-----------------------

He starts with the small stuff. Dressing appropriately for work, eating and drinking like a grown-up (if Nelson takes the stand with a Big Gulp in his hand, it's over before it even starts), talking to people like he's a professional instead of a college kid. 

“It's more about confidence than anything.” He says. 

The two of them have stayed late, so Gavin can show Nelson how to correctly approve and file HR paperwork. 

Probably won’t come up all that much, but Nelson doesn’t need to know that. As far as Nelson knows this is all for his benefit, and Gavin intends to keep it that way. 

“Yeah. This is cool and everything, but how long do I have to stay here? Normally I have dinner at 7?”

“Nelson, is this the first time you've ever stayed late?” Gavin is asking himself, not for the first time, how Nelson got past the Hooli screening processes first time around. 

“Not really? I mean sometimes me and my friends on the roof used to stay until it was dark so we could project movies up there and eat butter tarts.” 

“That doesn't count, Nelson.” sighs Gavin. 

\---------------------

On the one hand, Gavin’s doing what he considers an unimpeachable job of transforming Nelson from a mild-mannered simpleton into someone who could conceivably have had a hand in forming one of the Valley’s most (ugh) exciting start-ups. 

On the other, the more time Gavin spends with Nelson, the clearer it’s becoming that he absolutely, without doubt, did no such thing. 

“Woah! So you have a garage, like...inside your garage?”

Nelson’s wormed his way into Gavin’s house on the pretext that he wants to understand how a proper CEO lives - Gavin’s pretty sure it’s really because he casually mentioned he’s got a still-functional Atari 2600, because there’s no way Nelson’s interested in architecture or original Ming pottery. 

“That’s right, Nelson. If you play your cards right, you, too, can one day have a garage inside your garage.” 

“Ha. Yeah, maybe? I’m not really sure what I would need that for? But, it looks cool!” 

Gavin smiles indulgently as Nelson’s soft brown eyes light up when he sees the Atari. 

Nelson’s...kind of adorable. Well, fuck. 

\-----------------------

He’s managed to buy a decent-sized place since getting the XYZ promotion, but Nelson still spends most of his free time at Erlich’s. Or on his new boat. He only needs three more classes to get his boat licence! He could take Richard to Sausalito.

... Or Gavin, maybe? He seems like he could use a little break. He’s been mega-stressed lately about….well, Nelson doesn’t really know, CEO stuff? 

The guys are celebrating getting the Intersite bake-off with a little tequila and a quick game of always blue. Richard’s in good spirits for once, Gilfoyle and Dinesh are bickering (but it’s kind of good natured bickering, this time) and even Jared’s had a light beer to let his hair down a bit. 

“So how’s working for fucking Gavin Belson going?” asks Gilfoyle. “Nucleus still a complete shitshow?”

Nelson shrugs. “I don’t know, man, he doesn’t really tell me about that stuff, we only talk about XYZ, and, like. Other stuff.”

Richard frowns. “What stuff? What, are you, like, hanging out with him now?”

“No, he’s just, trying to help me out, I guess. With management stuff. I have to give this speech at the Hooli AIDS society thing next week? I think I'm the president now? He’s been helping me write it. I don’t even think I own a suit nice enough to get in, let alone give the keynote address, or whatever it’s called.” 

“And you don’t think any of this is even the slightest bit suspect?” asks Dinesh skeptically. 

“I dunno. He’s actually not that bad. He has a lot of cool stuff at his place. He has these, like, full-on samurai suits in one of his drawing rooms. He wouldn't let me try one on, which sucks, but it was still cool. I don’t even really know what a drawing room is.”

This is met with an unimpressed silence from Dinesh, Gilfoyle and Erlich, and expressions of horror from Richard and Jared. 

“You've...been to his house.”

“And like...he seems like he’s actually trying to be helpful. I mean, I don’t know why he promoted me, still, but. I dunno. He’s cool. He’s actually a total weirdo, to be honest. But he’s cool. He’s got a fruit guy, and he lets me use him whenever I want. He says he wants me to be seen eating fewer twinkies in public, or whatever.”

\-----------------------

“So….How'd I do? Was I OK?” 

Gavin smirks. “Not nearly as good as if I had given the speech myself, but-”

“Hey!”

“But not bad. Considering you were mostly just reading aloud essentially a prepared statement-”

“Do you write all your own speeches?” Nelson playfully nudges Gavin. 

Gavin laughs. “I have people to do that for me, Nelson.”

“Then, so do I. You're my people.” 

Gavin’s face warms at this, and he attempts to conceal it with a scowl. “That's what you think, huh.”

“Yup.”

“You, Baghead, are getting ideas above your station.” 

Nelson's eyes widen and he looks at Gavin nervously, until he sees the teasing glint in his eye. 

“But, seriously though, Gav,” (Gav???) “Was I OK? I was kinda nervous up there.”

“Nelson, stop worrying. You were fine.” 

Gavin can only chalk up the way he's feeling to the fact that at this point he hasn't had sex in years, and it's finally catching up to him. Or possibly temporary insanity. 

\-----------------------

He really is good, although he does say so himself. 

Nelson's more confident with his work and his ideas (all of those ideas are still awful, but you can't have everything) and he just looks...good. He looks good. Did he get a haircut? He's even wearing slightly fewer depressingly baggy t-shirts and hoodies, letting Gavin notice that under all that flannel he's actually surprisingly...well put together. Not hot. Just...fine. 

Gavin’s inspecting XYZ progress. He's still in hot water with the board after the livestream disaster and the subsequent additional disasters, and if he doesn't present them with something new soon it won't matter much how the lawsuit goes. 

Nelson's chatting, laughing with one of his employees. Blond, glasses. Cute, Gavin thinks acidly. 

The unidentified, soon-to-be-fired Hooli team member laughs uproariously at something Nelson says (which, come on. Gavin’s heard Nelson’s jokes and they're not that fucking funny) and rests his hand on Nelson's arm. 

Gavin scowls, aware of his own ridiculousness as he reminds himself that Nelson is a professional, and it'll probably come to nothing. 

\-------------------

It comes to something a couple of days later, when Nelson and Gavin are eating takeout on the floor of Gavin’s office (Chinese for Nelson, sashimi for Gavin). 

“So, this is a weird one, but I kind of got asked out by someone at XYZ? Is that OK? To date someone that I'm kind of the boss of?” 

“First of all, Nelson, you're more than kind of the boss at XYZ.” 

“I guess? It's just this guy asked me on a date, and I sorta want to go, but then I thought maybe I shouldn't? I mean, all that stuff you told me about professionalism and whatever.” 

“I… wasn't aware you dated men. Not that it's any of my business.”

“Yeah, I mean, I don't normally. I never have before. I've just been thinking about it lately, and I so I thought, why not, right? If I hate it I don't have to see him again. But then I thought maybe I should run it past you first?” 

“I'm not your HR rep, Nelson.” Gavin replies stiffly. “It's really not my job to discuss inappropriate workplace conduct with you.” 

“Oh.” Nelson says. “OK.” 

\-----------------------

Gavin’s working late, checking over his litigators’ notes in his office. Hooli’s pretty dead by this time, only a handful of particularly dedicated engineers still in the building. Patrice and Scott went home hours ago, only Rogelio lurking.

Gavin hears a shuffle and a door closing, looks up to see Nelson looking decidedly shifty. 

“Hey.”

“Nelson. What are you doing here?”

“I kinda thought you might still be here. Thought I'd stop by. Say hey.”

“I thought you had your date tonight. You know. Kyle.”

“Uh, yeah. I just got done. With that.” Nelson shrugs. 

“How was it?”

“Uh, it was ok. I mean, he's nice, and kinda cute, I guess. I don't think I'm gonna see him again.”

“Why not?” 

“Honestly? I'm...kinda into someone else.” 

“Oh.” 

Nelson shuffles awkwardly on the spot, and after what feels like about a hundred years of uncomfortable silence - 

“So. Um. I don’t know if you - and me - like, is it just me? Oh, man, have I got this totally fucking wrong?” 

And then Gavin is walking round his desk, over to Nelson, and then he’s kissing him, and everyone is finally, definitely on the same page. 

“mmph-”

Nelson throws his arms around Gavin and moans softly as Gavin slips his tongue in his mouth and threads his hands through Nelson’s hair. He tugs lightly, and - oh. That’s nice. 

Gavin backs him up against the desk, eventually lifting him on top so that Nelson can wrap his legs around Gavin’s hips and they can get even closer. Nelson moans into Gavin’s mouth. 

There’s a couch in Gavin’s office, and Nelson is more than happy to make use of it, but Gavin haughtily refuses. 

“I’m not having the first time we have sex be on my office couch, Nelson. Aren’t you at least going to let me wine and dine you first? I know a lot about wine, you know.”

Nelson groans. “I’m sure you do. And that sounds really great, but, like. Also, going back to your place right now also sounds pretty good.” He kisses Gavin, hard, on the mouth, in an attempt to really drive the point home. 

Gavin sighs. “I didn’t take much convincing, did I?” 

\---------------------------------

Nelson’s very much not used to waking up in someone’s arms. It turns out Gavin is not just a total softy after sex, he's one in the mornings, too, presumably before he's fully conscious. 

He nuzzles Nelson's neck and sighs softly, kissing him gently. Nelson sighs happily, curling up even closer into Gavin’s arms. Gavin’s body is warm, and comfortable, and even though Nelson could kill for some maple pancakes, or maybe some Fruit Loops, he can't bring himself to get up. Also he figures Gavin probably hasn't got Fruit Loops. 

Also he kind of wants to spend the next hour slowly taking Gavin apart with only his tongue. Which he then proceeds to do, quite effectively, judging by some of the noises Gavin makes. Nelson mentally notes the places that make Gavin clench the sheets and try to hold back gasps - that'd be his nipples (weirdly sensitive, but Nelson's more than happy to roll with that), his fingers, and the inside of his thighs. Gavin really likes Nelson's teeth there, a fact Nelson deliriously files away for future use. 

Gavin spends the next hour returning the favour. Nelson had no idea he could even come that many times, but hey - no complaints. Nelson’s fishing frantically in the top drawer of Gavin’s bedside table for lube, and - 

“What’s this?” he brandishes what looks like a weird-shaped double-ended dildo. 

Gavin smirks. “Prostate massager. If you’re good, maybe next time I’ll show you how it works. You can see how many times you can make me come.”

Nelson’s down for that. 

\-------------------------------

They eventually leave bed for showering and eating purposes. Gavin manages, with some difficulty, to procure a sugary breakfast cereal for Nelson. He himself breakfasts, unsurprisingly, on fresh fruit, spearing pieces of mango with his comically tiny fruit fork as Nelson shovels in Lucky Charms with both speed and volume. 

They also have to sit down and have a slightly awkward conversation about keeping their new relationship under wraps. 

“Technically, I am your boss. You’re my employee. We need to disclose this to HR, but beyond that I’d prefer it if we kept things private for a bit. Is that OK?”

Nelson nods. “Sure. Whatever you want.”

“It’s just - Nelson. This lawsuit. I didn’t want to have to have this discussion with you yet, but - you understand that we will have to ask you to testify?”

Nelson looks alarmed. “Like, against Richard? Because I don’t think I can - ”

“No, no. Not at all - we’ll just need to ask a few questions, that’s all. You don’t need to worry about it, no one’s asking you to do anything but tell the truth. I just think - under the circumstances, it might be better if we kept this quiet until after the suit is settled.” 

Nelson shrugs. “It’s OK with me. I guess.” 

Gavin wraps an arm around his shoulders and pulls him close, kissing him on the forehead. “I like you, Nelson.” 

Nelson sighs, kissing him softly on the lips. “Like you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> title, ofc, is from Carly Rae Jepsen's "Really like You" - a nelsonbelson song if ever i heard one. 
> 
> thank you very much for reading, i really hope u enjoyed it.


End file.
